


Hellboy Versus The Easter Bunny

by julliangm



Category: Hellboy (Movies), Hellboy - All Media Types
Genre: Easter, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 03:47:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1495438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julliangm/pseuds/julliangm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of child disappearances lead the B.R.P.D. to suspect occult activity in a small town outside of Rome. When Hellboy is dispatched to resolve the matter, he finds himself going head to head against a most unusual creature.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hellboy Versus The Easter Bunny

Cracks in the ceiling filtered luminescent moonlight. Unsettled dust swept through the air in a ballet visible only in those faint beams. The cold night air spoke of winter even when the warm days promised newfound spring.

Between the veins of light she sat. Wet hair hung limp across her face. Pallid skin shone in the faint reflection of the moon. Bulging blue veins wrote a tale of her life across bare flesh.

Snaking through the shadows was her servant. A hulking form obscured by the darkness.

"They mock me always. Diminish me. My life depletes. My dusk nears completion. If we do not act then their victory will be absolute," she stood.

Her voice decayed, her movement pained. Her eyes found the light and stared up into it. Their amber pupils dilated but she did not look away. She embraced the dull ache.

"Do they even know the truth of their day? Of course not. All they concern themselves with are baubles and greed. Today was my day. Today I was to feast. A thousand feasts owed me and none willing to give. My totem mocked. My heart splayed as theirs is meant to be. My stomach empty as theirs are filled."

Her servant then spoke. His voice deep and inhuman as his silhouette, "What am I to do, mistress?"

"You dare speak when I am in such contemplation?" she lurched forward with agility unbecoming of her wrecked body. "Never mind. I am done delaying. I must feed. If they are not to offer, if they do not come to their senses, then I must act alone. You have one week until the feast. Get for me what I require."

"Yes, mistress," his head bowed. Then he faded further into the darkness and vanished as ink into oil.

She sat alone in her secret crypt and felt the hollow of her stomach.

*******

Six days later. Rome, Italy. March, 2006.

A plane lands on an unassuming airfield on the outskirts of the city. Several miles from the nearest gas station. The field was more a long dirt road than an official landing strip. A place where prying eyes are unlikely to look. A large van with tinted windows waited a short distance away in a nearby field.

One man emerged from the plane. His brown overcoat swayed in a gentle spring wind. A bulky frame the first hint to a lack of humanity. One oversized fist made of stone, a second holding a phone to his ear.

"My money is on a Flesh Eater posing as a Catholic priest," Hellboy declared.

"Why?" Liz asked over the phone.

Hellboy explained, "Whenever a bunch of children go missing I always accuse the priests."

Liz laughed, "I wish I were going with you."

"I was solving cases without you and Abe for years, don't worry about me. We all know I'm the tough one. The handsome one, too," he smirked. Liz could practically hear the grin from her side of the conversation.

"Be careful, that's all I'm saying."

Hellboy nodded, "For you, babe, anything."

The driver got out of the van. A plain older man with a beer gut and a combover. Dressed in a sharp suit of midnight black. He opened the door to the back and said nothing.

"I'll call you when it's done," Hellboy said. "Love you."

By now the driver had gotten into his seat and started the engine. The vehicle rolled down the road towards a small town, a short drive away from the main city.

"I assume you want to visit the most recent crime scene first?" the man asked. His English tinged with the thick accent of a native Italian speaker with limited experience in other languages.

Hellboy nodded. He took out a cigar and lit it. "Seems the best place to start."

The rest of the drive was spent in silence. Hellboy not being a man of many words with strangers, and the language barrier on top of that, motivating the two men to contentment in the quiet. 

Watching the flickering lights of the ancient city in the distance proved to be a nice distraction. Hellboy's mind wandered to the world at large. Each of those lights represented a person that would never know what sacrifices the B.R.P.D. made to keep them safe. How many claws and teeth had punctured Hellboy's skin? He'd been walking the Earth for seventy-plus years. Most of those spent fighting nightmares. What did he have to show for it?

Liz's love and Abe's friendship. That was it.

The car pulled into town. Hellboy would call it a suburb given its proximity to Rome, but he wasn't sure if Europeans even had the concept of suburban life. Also the town was far from being idyllic. The houses looked over a hundred years old, likely full of creaks and secrets. The entire town built around an ominous church with a spiral bell tower jutting up against the clear night sky. Sporadic lamplight did little to actually illuminate the city. Instead the pale light of a nearly-full moon gave everything a haunting glow.

"We've arrived," the driver said. He turned around, "Give me a moment. I must get the family out of the house so they don't see... you."

"Got it," Hellboy said.

The driver exited the car and left Hellboy alone.

Typical. Not unexpected, but still inconvenient. His monstrously inhuman appearance forced Hellboy to remain "incognito". Not that he strictly adhered to those rules. But the family just lost a child. The last thing they needed was the trauma of seeing a seven foot tall wall of muscle with shaved-down horns and bright red skin.

Several minutes went by before the driver returned and opened the back door.

"Into the house, quickly. We don't want any observers to see you."

"Yeah, yeah," Hellboy got out of the van and walked into the house. He had to duck his head down to squeeze into the door frame.

Three things stuck out immediately. The house was tidy. Nightstands and bookshelves all in a nice arrangement, a living room designed around a fireplace rather than a television, and the kitchen looked immaculate. No specks of dust or items out of place.

Secondly there weren't any signs of struggle. A monster was abducting children but it was doing so swiftly. 

Most important of all, Hellboy saw the crucifix on the far wall. The books on the shelf were mostly religious texts, with only occasional fiction or history thrown in. This wasn't just a Christian family, they were devout. Always a possible clue in a case like this.

"I need to see the kid's room," Hellboy said.

"Upstairs. Second door on the left," the driver replied.

Hellboy felt the boards of the stairs creak beneath his weight as he moved to the second floor. He entered the room of the kidnapped child.

Leo Venici was ten years old. According to the file he was the seventh child to be abducted in as many days. Most of them were girls. Hellboy wagered that if he paid each home a visit then he'd find out all of the families were Christian.

The kid's bedroom was pretty typical for a boy his age. Posters of famous comic characters sprawled along the walls. His clothes were in discrete piles around the floor. Toys and models lined the one bookshelf instead of actual books.

A flicker of light caught Hellboy's eye. He followed it to the bookshelf.

Batman, Spiderman, and Cthulu - the kid had good taste in action figures. Hellboy was shocked that the parents let him have a Cthulu toy though. They probably didn't realize the implications.

"Are you going to save my son?" a woman's voice pierced the silence.

Hellboy froze. He didn't let his surprise show. Slowly, he turned around.

"That's the plan," he replied.

He recognized Leo's mother from their family pictures. The woman smiled. She was middle aged and pretty. Chestnut brown hair tied into a bun. Lines of worry tugged her eyes into sunken hollows. She walked closer, "Thank you."

"You aren't scared?" Hellboy asked, gesturing to his face and horns with a vague wave.

"Angels come in many forms," the woman replied.

Hellboy couldn't stop his pride from swelling, "Don't think I've ever been called that before."

"I'll leave you to your work," she said. "I don't imagine your partner will be happy that I snuck back into the house."

"Don't worry about it," Hellboy assured her. She left the room.

Hellboy turned back around and went to the bookshelf. Finding the source of the light from before only took a moment. Then Hellboy held in his hand a pristine gold egg.

The egg was far too fancy to be something that belonged to the child. Intricate patterns were woven into the surface, with writing in an ancient language that Hellboy didn't recognize. He took a picture with his phone and sent it to the one person he trusted most to dig up information - Abraham Sapien.

*******

B.R.P.D. Headquarters.

Abe Sapien thumbed his way through several books within moments of receiving the image. The egg shape and ancient Germanic dialect gave him several ideas on where to find further information. It didn't take him long to find the relevant texts. Hellboy was only a call away at that point.

"Hey Abe, you got something for me?"

"As a matter of fact I do," Abe answered.

"This is why I love you, buddy," Hellboy said.

Abe went on, "There is an ancient Pagan Goddess known as Estora. She was the deity of feasts and spring, representing renewal and rebirth."

"What's that got to do with a bunch of missing kids?"

"I'm getting to that," Abe said. "Estora, like many of the old Pagan idols, faded into memory and found herself marginilized with the expansion of Christianity. Most specifically, Easter. It replaced an ancient feast wherein her followers would give offerings. Commonly these offerings were human sacrifices, children."

"Wonderful," Hellboy groaned. "How do I find her? And how do I kill her?"

Abe skimmed the book, "No specific mention. But most of the beings we call 'Gods' survive off the energy generated by perception and sacrifice. If she has been so forgotten then Estora should be very weak. Possibly even too weak to take part in the abductions. She may be using a servant of some sort to bring her the meals."

Hellboy asked the most important question of all, "Any chance the kids are still alive?"

"It is probable. She likes to feast. I imagine that the seventh child will be the last. You still have time if you find her tonight."

"I think I got that covered," Hellboy said. Then before he hung up, he added, "Talk to ya later, Abe."

*******

As far as Hellboy was concerned, there was only one place in the town where he'd find Estora - the church. Ancient Pagan deities always had a flare for the dramatic. Where else would she be, other than the church of the very religion which scorned her?

To Hellboy's surprise, the priest was waiting for them when they parked outside the church. A thin man with gaunt cheeks and balding hair. His eyes were sunken and hollow, exhausted, missing a spark. Something about him just felt wrong from the moment Hellboy saw him.

"Stay in the car," Hellboy said to his driver.

Hellboy got out of the car and approached the priest.

"I can see the Devil himself comes tonight," the priest declared, voice as hoarse as a man who had just been strangled.

Hellboy gestured to the church, "We can do this the easy way, or the even easier way. Bring the kids out."

The priest tilted his head, "My disguise does not fool you."

"Not for a second," Hellboy growled. "I bet it fooled the kids, though."

"Not at all... they preferred a different disguise," the priest sighed. "My name is Peter. I suppose it is time for you to see my true face, and die knowing how powerless you truly were all along."

Hellboy drove his giant stone fist directly into Peter's chest before he could do anything else. The frail frame of the priest flew backwards into the church and collided with the massive wooden double doors at the entrance. A shower of splinters and dust plumed outwards and obscured Hellboy's view.

Hellboy began walking towards the church. He wasn't about to give Estora her chance to eat the kids.

A massive form emerged from the wrecked doorway. Hellboy had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

Standing in front of Hellboy was a rabbit. At least, that was the closest approximation he could think of. This rabbit was standing on hind legs, with giant meaty fists. Nearly eight feet tall, blood red eyes, and muscles that made Hellboy look frail by comparison. This was no ordinary rabbit.

"Oh crap," Hellboy muttered.

Peter leaped forward with unfathomable agility. One of those enormous fists slammed right into Hellboy's chest and sent him flying back into the SUV.

The frame of the car cracked as metal and glass warped around Hellboy's body. The driver was knocked unconscious by the force of the impact.

A distinctive crunch accompanied Hellboy's boots pressing down on the fragments of glass on the ground. He dusted several shards from his coat and glanced back to Peter.

"This is your chance to leave," Peter's voice now sounded far more deep and grotesque.

"Nah. I think I'm gonna kick your ass and save those kids," Hellboy declared.

Peter inclined his head, "So be it."

The monstrous rabbit bounced forwards and went for another strike. This time Hellboy was ready. Hellboy's stone hand swatted Peter right in the face and forced the momentum of the rabbit into another direction. Peter skidded across the ground.

An immediate counterattack propelled Peter forward and kicking Hellboy in the head.

Both of them traded blows like this in rapid succession for several moments, until Peter took hold of Hellboy's head and threw him.

Hellboy flew into one of the spiral staircase towers of the church, causing one of the larger church bells to ring. Peter followed him into the structure, jumping through the air and ascending a dozen stories of height in seconds.

Another shove from Peter sent Hellboy and his foe tumbling down the stairwell, repeatedly bludgeoning one another as they rapidly fell to the ground floor. Hellboy managed to strategically position it to where Peter broke his fall, feeling several ribs crack in the process.

Peter punched Hellboy again to make the red giant fall off. Then Peter hopped onto his feet and went on the offensive. Several more hits sent stars spinning around Hellboy's vision. It dawned on him that he couldn't keep the fight up at this pace. Peter hit too hard and too fast.

Before Peter could close in, Hellboy drew his gun and fired. Several bullets pierced Peter's chest and sent the rabbit skittering to the ground. A tense moment hung in the air.

Hellboy coughed and felt a weird pain. Then he checked all his teeth with his tongue, finding one only dangling by a thread. Hellboy spat the loose tooth out and groaned.

"Got my ass kicked by the damn Easter bunny... really glad no one was around to see that."

That's when Peter once again began to rise. Green blood oozed from his mouth as well as the gaping holes left by the bullets from Hellboy's gun. Hellboy looked at the behemoth bunny and rolled his eyes.

Peter charged once again. Hellboy opened fire, but the bullets didn't even slow the rabbit down this time. The creature slammed into Hellboy with the force of a train. The tackle pushed Hellboy through a stone wall, then a pillar, and another wall. They'd gone through several rooms by the time Hellboy managed to drive his elbow into Peter's spine hard enough to force the monster to disengage.

Hellboy glanced at their surroundings. They were now in the main chapel of the church. Rows of pews lined perfectly towards a front podium and crucifix. Stained glass depictions of saints and biblical stories shone faint moonlight through every window. The multicolored spectrum gave the room an ethereal feel.

There wasn't really much time to admire the view. Hellboy knew he had to act fast or else Peter would get the edge. So Hellboy grabbed one of the nearby pews and swung the bench with both hands. It tore from the hardwood floor effortlessly and hit Peter like a baseball bat. The rabbit fell to the ground in a storm of shattered wood.

An angry growl vibrated from Peter's throat. He was hurting. All Hellboy had to do was keep up the pressure.

Hellboy drove several more hits home. His stone hand slammed into Peter's head over and over. The rabbit began to wobble, shaky on his feet. 

One final, triumphant uppercut knocked Peter back. He hit the large crucifix on the far side of the room and then hit the ground with a decisive thud. The echo thundered across the room. Hellboy stood there in silence a moment. Peter did not get up this time.

Several exhausted rasps escaped Hellboy before he went back to action. The presence of the killer rabbit confirmed that he was on the right track. Estora had to be around here somewhere.

The boards creaked as Hellboy wandered the halls of the ancient church. Renovations did their best to hide the age of the building. Dust lazily drifted through the light of the windows as Hellboy cleared room after room.

Eventually Hellboy found himself standing in the attic.

Seven children were chained to the walls. They looked exhausted, frightened, and broken. Hollowed cheeks and pained expressions. Only one little boy still looked to have any fight in him. Hellboy recognized Leo from the pictures in his home.

But the important detail was that these children were all still alive.

Estora wasn't what Hellboy expected. She sat in a simple wooden chair. Her body was emaciated. So thin that she was nothing but skin and bone. Predatory red pupils stared at Hellboy through the darkness with all the anger and hatred of a vengeful goddess.

"You are here. That means Peter is dead," her voice sounded like dry sandpaper.

Hellboy raised his gun, "That's right."

She continued to stare daggers, "And you intend to kill me?"

Hellboy pulled the trigger. A bullet made Estora's head explode. The spray of brain matter coated the wall behind her.

Then Hellboy answered, "That's the plan."

All of the children looked shocked. Hellboy hoped they wouldn't be too traumatized by the sight. Then again, they were going to need a lot of therapy either way. They had just been kidnapped by a killer rabbit who intended to feed them to an ancient pagan goddess.

"Anyone hurt?"

They shook their heads.

"Then let's get you free."

Hellboy broke their restraints and helped all of them get out of the church. Then his driver called in B.R.P.D. backup to take them home. Against strenuous objection, Hellboy opted to take Leo Venici home himself.

The sight of Leo's house was far nicer this time. Something about it felt more like a home now. The very idea that Leo would sleep in his bed tonight filled the place with an inexplicable light.

Hellboy stood in the shadows of a tree while Leo knocked on the door - he didn't want to intrude on this important moment.

Leo's mother opened the door and froze. Several seconds hung in the air before she regained control of herself. The surprise and love in her eyes spoke volumes. Watching her embrace her son again reminded him of the truth.

At the beginning of the night Hellboy questioned why he did this. But seeing this sight gave him his answer. Moments like this were worth every punch, bite, cut, and pain that Hellboy ever felt. Moments like this made it all okay.

Hellboy walked into the night, heading home with a smile on his face.

The End

Author’s Note: If you’ve enjoyed this story, or any others that I post, please go “Like” my official author page on Facebook and support a small-time and growing artist! You can find it by looking for “Jullian G. Mortimer Official Author Page” in the search bar of Facebook. Thank you!


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